ABSTRACT-PILOT PROJECT PROGRAM The CHHE Pilot Project Program (PPP) will advance environmental health research by fostering collaborations, increasing multidisciplinary research, and aiding the career development of early career investigators. The overarching goal of CHHE?s PPP is to support research aimed at understanding the adverse impacts of environmental factors on human health and disease. The CHHE PPP aims to enhance the impact of environmental health sciences (EHS) research and increase the environmental health sciences identity at NC State University, East Carolina University (ECU) Brody School of Medicine, and North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Pilot project funding is awarded ($25,000/project) to collect preliminary data that: 1) advances the mission of CHHE and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Strategic Plan and 2) supports applications for external funding from the NIEHS, other NIH Institutes, and other Federal agencies. The PPP supports high quality basic, applied, clinical and public health research, especially in areas relevant to the four CHHE research interest groups which are: 1) Emerging Contaminants, 2) Environmental Genetics and Epigenetics, 3) Pulmonary Health, and 4) Behavior and Neuroscience. CHHE PPP also supports high quality environmental health research outside of its thematic areas, as well as high risk/high gain research that addresses environmental health concerns and encourages the use of CHHE?s Facility Cores and resources. The CHHE PPP accepts applications from CHHE members, as well as non-member faculty from NC State University, ECU, and NCCU. This PPP policy functions to attract/recruit new members, bring new skill sets to the Center, link researchers and community partners to address environmental health questions, and increase the Center?s multidisciplinary research base. In this competing renewal, the PPP is adding a new program that supports community-engaged projects. CHHE will direct $300,000/year ($200,000 NIEHS and $100,000 NC State) to its PPP and expects to fund 12 pilot projects/year at $25,000/project. CHHE PPP will sponsor at least 1 pilot project/year for community-engaged projects.